About Drew County Arkansas
Drew County is located in the southeast region of Arkansas. As of the 2020 census, the population was 17,350, making it the 39th most populous of Arkansas’s 75 counties. The county seat and largest city is Monticello. Drew County was formed on November 26, 1846, and named for Thomas Stevenson Drew, the third governor of Arkansas. He served as governor from November 1844 to 1849.
Many of the settlers came to the area from Virginia. The name Monticello was adopted for the county seat, and the first term of court was held in the county on October 1850. Spanish, French, U.S., Confederate and Arkansas flags have all flown over the territory in Drew County. A lot of history has been preserved in Drew County. The Historical Museum, a 14-room mansion is maintained by the county historical society, and sixty of its buildings are on the National Register of Historic Places.
Located on the edge of the Arkansas Timberlands and the Arkansas Delta, its fertile soils produced prosperity for early settlers in the antebellum era. Cotton was the major commodity crop, but corn, apples, peaches and tomatoes were also grown. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, timber harvesting became an important industry. As a variety of industries began to move to the county, several colleges were founded in the county in the early part of the 20th century, one developing as University of Arkansas at Monticello.
Today, the county has a diverse economy and is an economic center in southeast Arkansas. The economic base for the county is the still the timber industry along with manufacturing of boats, carpets, furniture, and by other service industries.
Bayou Bartholomew, the longest bayou in the world, runs the length of the eastern side of the county, and hunting and fishing in the area offers several recreational activities.
